Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…

Method

Tip the flour into a mixing bowl. For easy-blend dried yeast, stir this into the flour. For fresh yeast, crumble it and rub into the flour as you would with butter when making pastry. Add the salt and sugar.

Boil the kettle and measure 100ml into a jug. Top up with cold water to the 300ml mark. Test the temperature with your finger – it should feel perfectly hand-hot. Add the oil.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid all at once. Mix quickly using your hands or a wooden fork to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Wipe the dough around the bowl to pick up any loose flour.

Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip out the dough. Knead by stretching it away from you, then folding it in half towards you and pushing it away with the heel of your hand. Give it a quarter turn and repeat, developing a rhythm.

When the dough is smooth, put it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hr (no need to find a warm place). The dough is ready when it springs back when you press it with your finger. (At this stage, you can add other flavourings - see 'Goes well with', right).

Tip dough onto a floured surface, knead to remove air bubbles. Shape into a round, place on an oiled baking sheet and slash top with sharp knife. Cover and rise for 30 mins. Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Bake for 30-35 mins until browned and crisp.

Recipe Tip

Make double

Make double quantity of dough and put
half into a large, oiled food bag, with room
for rising. Leave overnight in the fridge to
rise. Bring back to room temperature,
then shape, prove and bake as above.
You’ll have fresh bread for two days.

Recipe Tip

Freeze ahead

For part-baked bread, reduce cooking
time to 25 mins until pale golden. Cool,
then freeze. To bake, defrost, then bake
for 15-20 mins until crisp and browned.
Or, to freeze cooked bread, wrap the cooled loaf
in a freezer wrap or a food bag, excluding
as much air as possible and sealing well.
Label and freeze for up to 1 month.

Ads by Google

Comments, questions and tips

Made this loaf today as I found some fresh yeast in the supermarket and wanted to try something different. All I can say is wow!! Super easy, absolutely perfect moist texture, chewy crust, delicious flavour. I did as a previous commenter suggested and put a dozen or so ice cubes on a baking tray at the bottom of the oven to create steam for a good rise and crust. My family couldn't get enough of it, tasted like a high-end artisan loaf! All for 15 minutes' effort plus rising time. A definite keeper.

welshtart

20th May, 2017

5.05

This is a brilliant loaf , so easy to make & it's huge when it's done . I must make this at least once a week , keeps fresh for a couple of days & it's even good when toasted

scrappydoo

9th Jan, 2017

5.05

Followed the recipe as written apart from reducing the salt slightly. Made one small loaf and 4 rolls. They turned out well with a light texture and good flavour. Will definitely make again.

jamesthomson

16th Dec, 2016

5.05

Just before putting the 'Olive oil bread' dough in the oven, I realised I'd forgotten something. Yes....the god damn olive oil!! It still came out really well though.

LaineyQ78

4th Feb, 2016

5.05

Wow! This makes a lovely loaf. Really good crust and beautifully soft, white middle. Really pleased with the result as although I have made bread before it was a few years ago! My oven doesn't actually reach 240c, top temperature is 230c - But it came out just right anyway. I am looking forward to adding some other flavours but in future this shall be my 'go to' recipe.

jamorgann

6th Oct, 2015

This was my first attempt at making bread and it made me so happy that they turned out okay! I split the loaf in two and left the second rise for nearly 2 hours because I had to pop out and they came out huge! I got two big loafs out of one batch tehe.

jayne b

7th Jul, 2015

5.05

So easy to make and the bread is very yummy, i no longer buy bread from the shop

indigocarole

21st Jan, 2015

Forgot the five stars, though I would give it ten if I could.

indigocarole

21st Jan, 2015

Best bread recipe ever. After dozens of attempts to make good bread over the years, with fresh and dried yeast and two breadmakers this makes my day. It is quick, reliable, it keeps well, toasts properly and doesn't go stale or mouldy. A snow day today so showed my grandson how to do it the easy way. Now he can make it as well as eat it. We fight over the crust!

creepy_sheep

3rd Jul, 2014

5.05

I've made this loads of times now; sometimes by hand, and sometimes using my bread maker on the "dough" setting. I've also added various combinations of cheese, onions and herbs, and it's come out really well every time. This is currently my go-to white bread recipe, and it's vegan too, which is a bonus when I'm cooking for friends.

Pages

Would this bread work as a tin loaf? My son has allergies and this bread works perfectly for us, but it would be handy if it were a more sandwich friendly shape. Would the cooking time need to be altered? What size tin would you recommend? Many thanks.

goodfoodteam

12th Jun, 2014

Hi there, yes It would also work in a loaf tin. Make sure you oil it well so the bread comes out easily and cook for the same time as the loaf, thanks.

risingdamp

15th Jan, 2014

How do you slash the top of the bread without causing the whole loaf to deflate?
I used a very sharp knife, with a wettened blade, but it didn't work for me :-(

goodfoodteam

29th Jan, 2014

Hi there, thanks for getting in touch. When slashing the top, a really sharp knife should work well. It shouldn't deflate at this point as long as you have knocked the dough back, removing the air. We hope it works out better next time! Thanks, BBC Good Food web team

Be the first to suggest a tip for this recipe...Got your own twist on this recipe? Or do you have suggestions for possible swaps and additions? We’d love to hear your ideas.

Reader offer: £10 off + 2 free craft beers

Tip the flour into a mixing bowl. For easy-blend dried yeast, stir this into the flour. For fresh yeast, crumble it and rub into the flour as you would with butter when making pastry. Add the salt and sugar.

Step 2

Add oil to hot water

Boil the kettle and measure 100ml into a jug. Top up with cold water to the 300ml mark. Test the temperature with your finger – it should feel perfectly hand-hot. Add the oil.

Step 3

Make a well

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid all at once. Mix quickly using your hands or a wooden fork to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Wipe the dough around the bowl to pick up any loose flour.

Step 4

Knead the dough

Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip out the dough. Knead by stretching it away from you, then folding it in half towards you and pushing it away with the heel of your hand. Give it a quarter turn repeat, developing a rhythm.

Step 5

Leave dough to rest

When the dough is smooth, put it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hr (no need to find a warm place). The dough is ready when it springs back when you press it with your finger.

Step 6

Shape the dough

Tip dough onto a floured surface, knead to remove air bubbles. Shape into a round, place on an oiled baking sheet and slash top with sharp knife. Cover and rise for 30 mins. Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Bake for 30-35 mins until browned and crisp.

Skills & know how

As well as helping you decide what to cook we can also help you to cook it. From tips on cookery techniques to facts and information about health and nutrition, we’ve a wealth of foodie know how for you to explore.

About BBC Good Food

We’re all about good recipes, and about quality home cooking that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for some healthy inspiration or learning how to cook a decadent dessert, we’ve trustworthy guidance for all your foodie needs.

Our recipes

All our recipes are tested thoroughly by us to make sure they’re suitable for your kitchen at home. We know many of you are concerned about healthy eating, so we send them to a qualified nutritionist for thorough analysis too.

This website is made by BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). No money from the licence fee was used to create this page. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes.